


Tales from the Leaf

by Kanako_Hime, LadyOfSlytherin101



Series: The Guideline Crack Series [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Big-sister'd, F/F, Fluffy scenes, Friendship, Hashirama is a goober, Jiraiya Pervs, Manipulative brats, Multi, Ramen, Romance, Serious Senjus, Severus the Cat, Trying to Ninja, fairytales - Freeform, occasional smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 06:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8567731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanako_Hime/pseuds/Kanako_Hime, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOfSlytherin101/pseuds/LadyOfSlytherin101





	1. Unwilling Accomplice - Naruto

 

Why was it always her? Why did he feel the need to drag her into his schemes? For once couldn't she sleep in without him breaking into her room? Apparently not. 

 

"Come on, Rosalie-chan!" Naruto whined as he poked at her. "You have to help us figure out what's under Kakashi-sensei's mask!" 

 

"Why me?" she grumbled. "Haven't you tried before? And did it ever cross your mind to ask Gai-sensei to help you as he's basically the only one who can keep up with him?" A quick glance at Naruto told her that he hadn't thought of that. "Don't even Naruto. He wouldn't do it anyways." 

 

The orange clad ninja slumped before giving her a pleading look that she was starting to find very hard to resist. 

 

"Ugh! Fine!" she groused. She shooed the boy out of her room and got dressed in a pair of shorts reaching her upper thighs, a black tanktop over a long sleeved fishnet shirt and black ninja shoes. She tied her hair up into a bun, curls already escaping. She gulped down some breakfast before she followed Naruto out to where everyone was waiting. 

 

She listened as they started shouting out ideas, each getting more ridiculous than the last. She rolled her eyes, not surprised they hadn't completed their mission before. She tuned them out, growing bored. She came back to herself when she heard Sakura say her name and found the group staring at her, the girls, namely Sakura, Ino and Ten Ten looking at her with undisguised glee. 

 

"What?" She took a hesitant step back. 

 

"You'll be bait for Kakashi-sensei!" Ino spoke up. 

 

"No," Rosalie refused, turning on her heel. "I refuse to be bait." She didn't get far when she froze, losing all control of her limbs. 

 

"We're not giving you a choice," Shikamaru said, trapping her with his shadow jutsu.

 

"Yeah! Think of it this way!" Ino piped up. "You get rescued by Kakashi-sensei, who heroically gives you the kiss of life, bringing you back from your near death state!" 

 

  
"I think you've been reading too many teen, sappy romance novels and I hate you all." Rosalie grumbled as Shikamaru made her walk through the village to the river. Sakura forced medicine into her mouth that would slow her pulse before she was dumped into the river and pulled back out when she was deemed drenched enough. She was laid out on the ground like she had struggled out of the water and everyone scattered while Hinata ran off to get Kakashi. _I don't want a bloody kiss, I want to go home and go back to sleep!_ Rosalie thought. _Then again, I could just sleep right here. I mean, my eyes are closed to play my part._ Yes, that was what she would do.    


 

That is until she was picked up and someone started running with her. She came to and figured out Kakashi was running with her to the hospital. She could hear the others trying to stop him, no doubt because their first plan failed. She just went with it, knowing sooner or later she'd be given the signal to 'wake up', as she felt the medicine wear off. 

 

"Rose, now!" Naruto cried.

 

And there it was. With more grace than she had first arrived in this world with, she slipped out of Kakashi's slack arms and flipped over until she was besides Naruto. She waved at Kakashi who looked stunned. "No hard feelings, Scarecrow. I got dragged into this particular scheme against my will. Nor did I agree to being bait." She wasn't surprised when yet again fate intervened and Kakashi managed to escape without anyone seeing his face. She knew what his face looked like, but she was going to keep that information to herself. What good would it do if they just gave up because she told them? 

 

Naruto groaned in disappointment, unhappy he'd been thwarted again. He looked up when Rose wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

 

"It happens." She said simply. "It seems fate does not want us to see his face just yet. Come on, I'll treat you to ramen."

 

"Really?!" Naruto's eyes lit up. 

 

Rosalie ruffled his hair with a smile. "Of course. Since I unofficially adopted you as my brother, it's my job as your big sister to make sure you eat, even if it is ramen," she teased as they started walking. 

 

"Big sister? But I'm almost as tall as you," Naruto pointed out. 

 

"Still I'm older and wiser," Rosalie retorted playfully.

 

"Sure Rose, whatever ya say," Naruto chuckled, earning a hair ruffle from Rose. 

 

They shared a meal of ramen and Naruto walked her home. She waited until he was out of sight before going inside, unsurprised to see Kakashi waiting for her. 

 

"You could have told them." 

 

"Now, where's the fun in that?" Rosalie teased. "If I had, they wouldn't have worked together. They've come a long way since the bell test." 

 

"Indeed they have. Thanks, Rose." 

 

Rosalie smiled, knowing he was referring to the fact she went along with the scheme and keeping his secret. "No problem, Scarecrow. Now get out so I can shower and go back to sleep." She knew it'd only be a matter of time before Naruto came back and she found she didn't quite mind, even if her sleep was going to get interrupted. 


	2. Fairytale - Hashirama

 

In the village of Konohagakure, there was a wealthy farmer with three daughters. The older girls were haughty, proud and thought of nothing but their own desires. The youngest, however, was a pretty girl called Ariana who liked nothing better then to dream of the world around her. Her sisters often taunted and mocked her, nag-nag-nagging all day long. She did as her sisters bade her and never answered them back, but they didn't like her any better for that. Only when their father was home did they behave themselves; but he often wasn't at home and thus shield his youngest child.

 

One morning, he was setting out to the market to sell his wares when he called his daughters before him.

 

"My darling daughters, if I get a good price for my produce, I will buy you each a present. Tell me now, what would you like?" he said, a loving smile on his face.

 

"Father, buy me some silk to make me a gown," said the eldest.

 

"Father, buy me some fur to make me a hood against the winter," said the second. Ariana said nothing.

 

"Come then, my pet," their father coaxed. "What would you like?"

 

"Darling papa," Ariana said hesitantly, "I would love best a silver dish and a firm, ripe peach."

 

"A dish and a peach!" the sisters shrieked. "Whoever heard of such nonsense? What will you do with them when you have them, hmm?"

 

"I shall roll the peach across the dish," Ariana said serenely as her sisters dissolved into peals of laugher. The farmer indeed sold his goods for a fair price and came home with the three presents: silk for the eldest, fur for the middle sister, the silver dish and a ripe peach for Ariana.

 

"Let's see you roll that peach!" the sisters mocked. And Ariana smiled and sat in a chair, took the silver dish across her knees and began to roll the peach across it again and again.

 

"Roll, roll, my peach across the dish," she sang, "Show me cities and fields, forests and seas, the high mountains, beautiful skies, warm suns, ethereal moons, the dazzling array of stars and planets. Roll, my peach and show me the wonders of the world!"

 

The peach rolled across the silver, and the juice of the peach covered the surface; and on the dish, one city after another appeared, then fields of corn, fields of grass, fields of flowers; then the blue seas, white waves, ships sailing; then the beauty of the skies; sun after sun, moon after moon, a dazzling array of stars dancing across the darkness of night, and as they danced, they sang.

 

The two sisters were consumed with jealousy. They craved the dish and the peach for themselves, and what they wanted, they got.

 

"Give me your dish and your peach, and you may have the silk for a gown," said the eldest. But Ariana didn't.

 

"Give me your dish and your peach, and you may have the fur for a hood," said the second sister. But Ariana didn't. Her sisters slapped her face, pulled her hair, pinched, kicked and scratched her. But she would not give them her dish, nor her peach. The two sisters plotted and schemed to get the items that Ariana treasured so much, and finally the eldest hit upon the solution.

 

"Come into the wood with us to pick strawberries," she said one morning, "We can use them to make a treat for Father."

 

Ariana consented to it gladly. They set out with their baskets and cloaks and came to the wood where the wild strawberries grew. And as Ariana stooped to fill her basket, each sister seized a log of wood and they struck the poor girl down. They buried her in leaves and ran home, where the eldest sister snatched up the silver dish and began to roll the peach across it.

 

"Roll, roll, my peach across the dish. Show me all the wonders of the world!"

 

But all the dish showed her was Ariana lying dead under the leaves. The middle sister pulled the dish away and began to roll the peach across it.

 

"Roll, roll, my peach; show me all the wonders of the world!"

 

But all the dish showed her was Ariana lying dead under the leaves. They sisters were frightened. The consequences of their actions weighed upon them, and they hid the dish and the peach before their father came home that evening.

 

"Where's your sister?" he asked. The eldest sister shrugged her shoulders.

 

"I don't know."

 

"She just walked off - she should have been home long ago," the middle sister said. The father was worried; he sat up late, but Ariana didn't come home. He sat up all night and still she didn't come home. So in the morning, he set off to the wood to look for her. On his way through the village, he met a young man playing on a little pipe. And as the father passed, the pipe began to sing.

 

"Play, play, little pipe, play for my darling papa; play for my unkind sisters! Me, unfortunate, they killed. They sent me out of the world for the sake of a silver dish, for the sake of a ripe peach."

 

A crowd had stopped to hear the pipe singing, and were astonished. They were crowding around the young man, shouting angrily, "What is the meaning of this? Who was killed? Who were the killers? Tell us, Izuna, tell us!"

 

"I know nothing!" the Uchiha insisted, "I went into the wood after my brother. I saw in the wood a mound of leaves. On the mound, there were little flowers growing, and above the flowers, a reed. I cut the reed, I made a pipe. I walked along playing my pipe, but now comes this man and the pipe begins to sing!"

 

"Play it again!" the crowd roared. "Play it again, that we may learn more!"

 

So the young man put the pipe to his lips and immediately it began to sing.

 

"Play, play, little pipe, play for my darling papa; play for my unkind sisters! Me, unfortunate, they killed..."

 

"Stop!" the father cried. "Lead me to the place where you cut this reed!"

 

The young man set off for the wood, taking the father with him, and a great crowd following behind. They came to the mound of leaves; they took the leaves in their hands, they cast the leaves aside; they found Ariana's body. Her father flung himself down and wept as the people shouted, "Tell us, little pipe, tell us! Who killed this maiden?"

 

The pipe began to sing by itself, "My darling, own papa, my sisters took me into the woods to pick strawberries for you. They each seized up a log of wood; me, unfortunate, they struck down, for the sake of a silver dish, for the sake of a ripe peach. My darling, my own papa, go to the Hokage, that he may wake me from my heavy sleep."

 

So the father set off at a run for the Senju estate, while the people took the two sisters (so frightened now that they confessed what they had done); they bound the wicked girls in chains and locked them in a dark cell.

 

"The Hokage will tell us what to do with you!" they spat, leaving the sisters in their darkness.

 

The father ran and ran. He came to the Senju estate, he came to the main house. There was the Hokage, walking down the steps to walk among his kin. The father fell on his knees before him. He bowed his head to the ground, he wept, he implored for mercy as he told his sad story. And the Hokage wept for him and said, "Take, my poor man, one of my healers. When your daughter is restored to life, bring her to me. Bring also the silver dish and the ripe peach; bring your two other daughters, that we may pass judgement on this strange affair."

 

The father hurries to fetch a healer and they run back to the wood. They run to the place where Ariana lies among the scattered leave, the healer performs a spell. She opens her eyes, she smiles, she stands, she flings her arms around her father and they rejoice. They go back to the farm and the people come running and shouting.

 

"Hurrah! Hurrah! The maid is alive, she has risen from her bed of leaves, and now her wicked sisters shall be punished!"

 

The people dragged the sisters from their cell and the father fetches the silver dish and ripe peach; they make their way to the Senju estate, and Ariana held in her arms the silver dish and the ripe peach. They arrived at the Senju estate, and the Hokage sat as they were brought before him; the two sisters in chains, the father bowing, and Ariana....oh, what beauty! Like a spring flower, like a gentle dove, like a young doe....But her eyes are full of tears.

 

"Maid, why do you weep?" the Hokage asked gently.

 

"I weep for my sisters," Ariana replied.

 

"Maid, show me the marvels of your silver dish and your ripe peach," the Hokage said.

 

"What would my lord Hokage wish to see?" Ariana asks. "His strong village, his brave soldiers, his ships upon the ocean, the wonders of the heavens?"

 

"Ah, all!" the Hokage cried, "I would see all!"

 

And so Ariana sits upon a cushion at the Hokage's feet. She takes the silver dish on her knees, she rolls the peach across the dish as she begins to sing.

 

"Roll, roll, my peach across the dish. Show my lord Hokage the splendours of his kingdom."

 

The peach rolls across the dish; the juice covers the silver. Then appear estates, towers, markets, the great mountain with his image carved, farms, fields and plains; then appear his soldiers; they assemble with banners, they form up in battle array; weapons flash, the landscape changes, all is hidden in fire and smoke....

 

"Roll, roll, my peach across the dish. Show my lord Hokage the splendour of the seas."

 

The peach rolls across the dish; the juice covers the silver. Then appears the great sea, wave upon wave, rising and falling; on the sea sails the Hokage's vessels with sails bellying, voices shouting and waves crashing - all is hidden in fire and smoke....

 

"Roll, roll, my peach across the dish. Show my lord Hokage the splendour of the skies."

 

The peach rolls across the dish; the juice covers the silver. Then appears the majesty of the heaven; suns rise and set, moons wax and wane, stars and planets dance across the darkness of night, and as they dance, they sing...

 

"Is my lord Hokage satisfied?"

 

Satisfied! The Hokage is gaping with astonishment. He can scare find words. Ariana sits quietly holding her silver dish on her knees; she sits quietly, but from her eyes, tears are falling onto the ripe peach.

 

"Maid, why do you weep?"

 

Ariana kneels at the Hokage's feet. "My lord Hokage, I weep for my unhappy sisters. Take my silver dish, take my ripe peach, but forgive my unhappy sisters, as I have already forgiven them."

 

"Little lovely one, on one condition will I pardon them - that you take me for your husband."

 

Ariana gazes up at the Hokage; his face is serious, his brown eyes full of determination.

 

"My lord Hokage, if my father gives his consent, I will take you for my husband."

 

Her father bows to the ground. "My lord Hokage, your will is mine."

 

"Then, little lovely one, give me your hand." So Ariana gives him her hand and she stands beside him; he can scarcely believe his good fortune...

 

"My lord Hokage, one other word. I beg you, do not seperate me from my family. Let my father and sisters remain with me."

 

The sisters fall at Ariana's feet. "We are not worthy! We will go away and hide ourselves from the world!"

 

"You are not strangers, dear sisters! Do not go from me! We are of one fmaily, and in family, there should be joy and peace. Stand, sisters, and let us rejoice together!"

 

But they would not rise, they continued to grovel at her feet and wept tear after tear. Eventually the Hokage said, "I command you to stand up. For your sister's sake, you are forgiven, because I can deny her nothing. For her sake, you and your father shall live in this estate. Go, wash yourselves, wash away all remembrance of evil, and my people will clothe you in befitting garments."

 

So they went and washed and were clothed anew. Ariana was dressed for her wedding in a shimmer of white and silver, the Hokage held a great feast, the village blazed with light, and everybody sang.

 

"Hail, hail, to our noble Hokage; hail, hail, to his bride, our beautiful maiden! May they live and reign in all happiness for ever and ever!"

 

* * *

  
Ariana snorted as she put down the scroll. "What in the name of Madara's saggy left testicle were they  _thinking_ ?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at her husband. "I am not a bloody damsel in distress with freaky magic powers! And, no offense dear, but you're way more goofy then that. I distinctly remember your trousers falling down the first time we met."   


 

Hashirama blushed sheepishly.

 

"You know what kids are like," he mumbled, pulling on his sleeping robe. "They like to turn everything into a fairytale."

 

"Uh-huh," the blonde said disbelievingly, unpinning her hair from the rather ornate style it'd been in all day. Peace meetings _sucked_. "For some reason, this just reeks of you, dear."

 

"I didn't want to do it, I swear!" Ah, and it was all starting to come out now. "But Madara insisted-"

 

  
"Ahh it was  _Madara's_ idea," she purred, turning to look over her shoulder at her stumped husband. "You're so easily led, Mr. Tree."   


 

Her husband sank into his corner (she didn't know where he kept the thing - it just appeared at the most random of times) and she rolled her eyes, crossing the room to put her arms around his shoulders.

 

  
"You could've just  _told_ me that you'd forgotten," she murmured, "I know that you're busy."   


 

"I know," he moped, "But I didn't want you to get upset."

 

  
"Hashi, I'm  _pregnant_ , not terminally ill," she sighed, settling herself into his lap, "You'd swear you'd never been around your pregnant wife before..." She pressed a kiss to his lips, smiling when he groaned. "Thank you for the present," she whispered, resting her forehead against his. His eyes took on a hopeful look then.   


 

"You like your fairytale?" he asked, looking for all the world like an eager puppy. She laughed.

 

"I _love_ it," she nodded, moving to kiss him again.


	3. Daring Rescue - Gai

Strength and power were highly valued in the village. To put it simply, those who were strong survived while the less than strong weren't as fortunate. Ring fighting was a hugely popular sport and one of the best ways for someone to prove their strength. 

Rose loved attending matches. Her father had been one of the fighters in the prime of his youth and because of his strength in the ring, her family now lived a very comfortable life. So she was no stranger to the ring, though instead of going for her father, she was going to see the current champion, Maito Gai. 

She waited in anticipation for him to appear, not interested in any of the matches going on in front of her. She remembered watching him before he was the champion when her father would bring her to his practices. When she was old enough to start going to matches on her own, she always sat in the same seat in the same row. Near enough where she could see Gai and he could possibly see her, but still far away enough that she wasn't running the risk of accidentally getting hurt if one of the fighters got thrown out of the ring. She cheered with everyone else as the announcer came onto the mike to announce that Gai would be stepping into the ring. 

"And now, the man you've all been waiting for! The champion of the ring, the Ferocious Green Beast of Konaha, Maito Gai!" 

Gai stepped out, securing the bandages around his hands like always, eyes scanning the crowd for  _her_ . And there she was, sitting in the same place as always, standing out among the sea of faces. She was always there and he began looking forward to his matches, because it meant she would be there. He didn't know her name, but knew her by sight as the former champion's only child. He had seen her when she was small and she suddenly blossomed into a great and youthful beauty. She became his reason to fight, to see her smile at his victories, to see her worry when his opponent would manage to land a hit on him and to see her relief when he got back up again. He decided that tonight was the night he was going to speak to her and ask her out. He had tried many times before but things had always gotten in the way. 

Rose cheered when Gai once again defended his title and the match ended. She grabbed her bag and slipped out of the stadium, walking towards her home. She should have been paying more attention because before she could react, she was surrounded. She threw her bag at them, hoping they'd take her money and leave her alone. But judging by the way they were looking at her, that was not the case. She had been taught to fight, but even she knew she couldn't fight five men at once. So she did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. 

Gai had followed her out to the street before losing sight of her for a moment. He stood there, trying to figure out which way she went when he heard a woman scream. Not one to simply walk away when a woman was in danger, he ran towards the sound of the scream. What he saw made his blood boil. Five men had his youthful maiden surrounded, their intentions impure. He ran towards them and leapt at them-

* * *

"And I quickly subdued all fifty of them, saving your mother! She was so moved that she swooned and agreed to marry me on the spot!" Gai said, striking a heroic pose as he finished the story for his three young daughters who sat on the floor, watching him with wide innocent eyes and believing his every word. 

Rosalie leaned against the doorway, watching her husband with their daughters. She snorted in amusement as Gai finished his story, gaining the attention of her family.

 

"Mama!" Her girls cried, swarming around her and clutching at her hands and skirt. "Papa just told us how he saved you!" 

"He did, did he?" She asked, letting the girls pull her into the room. She gazed at them lovingly, each one a miniture of their mother with her red hair and green eyes and thankfully nothing from their father, except his enthusiasm. Rosalie wasn't sure how she would have reacted if they had gotten their father's bushy eyebrows. Not that she'd ever tell Gai that.

"Uh huh! He said he took ouf fifty enemies and you agreed to marry him right then!" the oldest of the triplets, Daisy said.

The other two, Lily and Violet nodded in agreement.

Rosalie let out a laugh. "That is so not what happened! It was five men and I did not swoon or agree to marry him on the spot." 

The girls started talking over each other, all three of them wanting to know what happened. 

"Your father did rescue me from bad men but I did not swoon. He had to ask Grandpa for permission to even date me and Grandpa didn't even give that easily. Papa had to fight Grandpa and again when Papa wanted to marry me." 

"When did you fall in love with Papa?" Violet, the shyest of the three asked.

Rosalie sat down, rolling her eyes when she noticed Gai was eager to learn that answer. "Well, I suppose it started when I was much younger. Grandpa was the champ long before Papa was, so I'd go with Grandpa to his matches. Your Papa was there so I liked watching him try his hardest to be the best. I suppose it just happened and I fell in love with him more that day when he rescued me. I wasn't aware he even saw me in the crowd." 

Gai got up and sat next to his wife. "How could I not? You became my reason for fighting, the reason I would get into the ring every night, because I knew you were there." He took her hands in his. "Many times I wanted to find you after the matches to ask you on a date, but you always slipped away. That night could have ended in tragedy and instead I got the most beautiful and youthful woman in the village and she became my wife, giving me three lovely, youthful daughters." He leaned forward and kissed her. 

"Aw!" The girls cooed, giggling as they watched. 

Rosalie laughed as she pulled away. "Ok, you three! Go get your shoes on, we're going to go visit Grandpa and have dinner with him." 

"Yay!" The girls cheered and ran off to get ready. 

Rosalie chuckled and started to get up, yelping slightly when Gai pulled her back down into his arms. She blushed when she noticed he was staring at her in that way that made her feel like he was staring into her soul, that intense way that made her feel warm all over. "Gai?" 

He said nothing as he pulled her close and kissed her deeply, much like he had when he had asked her marry him, their wedding day and when the triplets were born. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me such happiness." 

Rosalie smiled. "You're welcome." 

"Are you sure you won't allow me to train our daughters in the way of combat?" Gai pleaded. 

"Gai... No. I've told you before. That isn't going to happen." 

Gai pouted slightly, shoulders slumping in defeat. 

Rosalie smiled and placed one of his hands on her stomach. "But if this one is a boy, then you can train him when he's old enough." 

Gai stared at her for a moment, not fully registering what she said. "A son?" 

She nodded. "In about seven months." 

Gai blinked. "Seven months?" 

Rosalie sighed. "Yes, seven months. I'm two months pregnant Gai." She loved her husband but he could be so incredibly dense sometimes. 

Gai was silent for a moment before he let out a whoop, striking one of his poses before picking her up and spinning her around while he laughed. "I'm going to have a son! My legacy will continue!" 

"We don't know that yet." She corrected, slightly offended when he mentioned his legacy. She let it go, knowing that he still loved his girls, he had just wanted a son for a long time to train. She'd let it go, for now. 

Gai wasn't listening as he put her down and ran out of the house to spread the news to his friends. 

Lily poked her head in, her sisters close behind. "Mama? Why is Papa yelling and why did he run out of the house? I thought we were going to Grandpa's?" 

Rosalie grabbed her sweater and ushered the girls to the door. "He'll be fine. I'll tell you when we get to Grandpa's and hopefully your father remembers to meet us there." 

She married the strongest man in the village, but he was also a goof when he was with his family, and she wouldn't have him any other way.


	4. Copper, Silver and Gold

One afternoon, Ariana was tending to her sheep when in a meadow, she saw a very beautiful tree. Its branches were low, its branches were high, and it seemed to be saying, 'Come, climb me!' And so, the girl left her sheep to climb. She climbed and climbed, but still the tree towered above her. She climbed for nine days and she found herself in a most astonishing place. In a dune-filled desert, where there were many great palaces, and all of them made of copper. Deeper into the desert she went, and in the very centre of an enormous courtyard was a fountain of flowing copper that sparkled and bubbled, the liquid sounding like music in the silent, silent world. And at the very top of the fountain lay a red, sand-covered raccoon, fast asleep.

 

On one side of the courtyard was a high copper tree. Its branches were low, its branches were high, and it seemed to be saying, 'Come, climb me!' And so, Ariana began to climb again. She climbed and climbed for nine days and found herself in another astonishing place. She found herself in an enormous forest with many great palaces, and all of them made of silver. Deeper into the forest she went, and in the very centre of the forest was an enormous tree, with a spring of flowing silver that sparkled and bubbled, the liquid sounding like music in the silent, silent world. And resting in a low branch of the tree lay a small, wooden puppet, fast asleep.

 

Ariana looked at the silver tree, the highest in the forest. Its branches were low, its branches were high, and it seemed to be saying, 'Come, climb me!' So she began to climb once again. She climbed and climbed for nine days, and found herself in yet another astonishing place. In a rocky mountain range, dotted with many palaces, and all of them made of gold. Higher up the mountain she went, and at the very top of the mountain was an enormous cliff-face, with a spring of flowing gold that sparkled and bubbled, the liquid sounding like music in the silent, silent word. And resting on a ledge lay a great golden bird who sat, head under wing, fast asleep.

 

Ariana looked at the cliff-face. The ledges were high above her reach, and the rock was polished and slippery. It seemed to be saying, 'No, you shan't climb me!' She shrugged and went back the way she came. She climbed back down the silver tree into the silver kingdom. She climbed back down the copper tree into the copper kingdom. She climbed back down the very beautiful tree and her feet touched solid earth again. But she was not in the meadow where she had left her sheep; the meadow had vanished and her sheep with it. On all sides the fields and farms were strange to her, and in the distance, she saw the roofs and walls of a great city.

 

"Oh no, now where have I got to?" she thought exasperatedly. "Mother will be so cross! But I'm so sleepy..."

 

So she lay down at the foot of the very beautiful tree and fell asleep. When she woke, she heard a strange snuffly sound, and looking up, she saw a tiny, nine-tailed fox cub trying to climb the trunk of the very beautiful tree. It was holding onto the bark with its tiny paws and was crawling up, inch at a time. But if it climbed an inch, it fell back two; it couldn't even reach the lowest branches of the tree.

 

"Little fox," she called, "There's nothing up there of any use to you. Believe me, I've been up there myself."

 

  
"Nothing of use?" the fox cried, its tails swishing furiously. "Are three kingdoms of no use? Is disenchantment no use? Am I to remain a Kyuubi forever,  _I_ who was once a king? Yes, a king, dattebayo! But the Sand Siblings turned me into this and stole my kingdoms. They sit as a raccoon, puppet and bird and wait till the dawn comes to bathe. When they do, they remove their magic garments and turn into humans again. If I could reach them, I would take their garments and hide them I'd refuse to give them back until they agreed to disenchant both me and my kingdoms. I climb and slip, climb and slip - but one day I'll reach them, dattebayo!"   


 

"That won't be anytime soon, little fox," Ariana said wryly. "But I can climb where I've climbed before and take them in your place."

 

"You would?"

 

"I will," Ariana said, her fingers curling in the fur behind his ears, "It's sad to see you grieving."

 

The fox wiped his eyes with his tiny paws - poor thing, he'd been weeping. "I swear, dattebayo," he said, "You won't go unrewarded."

 

"I'm not looking for them."

 

"But you'll have them, you will!"

 

So Ariana climbed again. She climbed up the beautiful tree and came to the copper desert. She went to the copper courtyard, where the red raccoon slept on, and she hid behind the silver tree. The fountain sparkled and bubbled with a pretty tinkling sound; but all else was so silent, so silent that Ariana scare dared breathe, lest she wake the sleeping raccoon. But the raccoon slept on, and night came, and then dawn. And when the first rays of the rising sun lit up the flowing copper in the fountain, the raccoon woke, removed his fur and became a handsome young man, who went to bathe in the water. Ariana crept from her hiding place, snatched up the fur garment and clambered up the tree; higher and higher she went when she heard a yell come from below her. The young man had left the waters and discovered his fur garment had been stolen. But he could not climb up after her, so he stayed at the foot of the tree, yelling.

 

By and by, Ariana reached the top of the tree and came into the silver forest, where the wooden puppet lay sleeping in the tallest tree of the forest, and Ariana went and hid until dawn. Not a sound, except for the pretty tinkling of the silver spring where it bubbled at the foot of the tree. But when the first ray of the rising sun lit up the flowing silver in the spring, the puppet woke, climbed down, removed his wooden garments and turned into a handsome young man who went to bathe in the water. Ariana came out of her hiding place, snatched up the wooden garments and clambered up the tree; higher and higher she went when she heard a yell come from below her. But the young man could not climb up after her, so he stayed at the foot of the tree, yelling.

 

By and by, Ariana reached the top of the tree and came into the golden mountain-range, where the golden bird was sleeping on a ledge of the cliff-face. She hid and waited until dawn. And when the golden bird changed into a pretty young woman and went to bathe in the golden spring, Ariana stole her garment also. Now she had all three garments. She tied them firmly to her waist, then as quick as lightning she scrambled down all three trees; gold, silver and copper. And the Sand Siblings came scrambling after her. So, almost tumbling over each other, they all came into the world waiting at the bottom of the very beautiful tree, where the little fox was waiting.

 

"Give us back our garments!" the siblings screamed. "Give them back!"

 

"No!" Ariana replied. "You are weak and slow, but I am strong and fast. I will fight and kill you all before I part with these garments, except on my own terms."

 

Now, Ariana was quite brave in saying that, for who knew what powers the siblings held? However, she was quite safe, as all their powers lay in their garments. But she didn't know that, so we may say she was brave.

 

"The terms? What are the terms?" the siblings demanded.

 

"I'll tell you!" the little fox said. "You must disenchant my kingdoms, you must lift the spell from me!"

 

"Never!" the siblings shrieked.

 

"Very well," Ariana shrugged. "I will keep the garments."

 

What could the three siblings do? They were beaten and they knew it. They joined hands and began to circle the very beautiful tree, chanting a strange spell. The copper tree sank to the earth, bringing with it the copper kingdom. The silver tree sank to the earth, bringing with it the silver kingdom. The golden tree sank to the earth, bringing with it the golden kingdom. Far and wide they stretched and they were no longer silent; multitudes of people were coming and going; laughing, working, playing. The doors of the palaces stood wide; the palace windows were flung open. Ariana could scarcely believe her eyes. Most wonderful of all, the little fox had disappeared, and beside her stood a man so handsome, so handsome that the beauty of the Sand Siblings was nothing compared to it. 

 

"Oh!" she breathed. 

 

"Now give us back our garments!" the siblings demanded. Ariana handed each their garment, and they transformed back into raccoon, puppet and bird. And the puppet and raccoon climbed on the bird's back and the flew away.

 

"They won't bother us again," the handsome man laughed. "But I'm going to bother you now."

 

"What?" Ariana asked, bewildered.

 

"It's like this," the man said, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "I'd like to take you as my wife. If you'll have me?"

 

  
" _If_ I'll have you?" Ariana cried, "I'd love nothing more! But I'm not worthy of such an honour."   


 

"That's for me to decide," the man laughed. And he took her by the hand and led her into the most splendid of palaces, and his people followed in a great throng, shouting for joy.

 

"Our King has come back! King Naruto has come back to us!"

 

"And I've brought you a Queen!" Naruto declared. "Greet her as a Queen should be greeted, dattebayo!" Then sky and earth echoed with the cheering of the people. Naruto clothed Ariana in queenly garments and placed a crown on her head. And they held a great wedding for all the people to see. 

 

So we will take our leave of them, living happily, oh so happily, that day and ever after.


End file.
